


Bruised But Not Broken

by Indarus



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Bees, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-08
Updated: 2015-03-08
Packaged: 2018-03-16 20:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3501407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indarus/pseuds/Indarus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inquisitor suffers an injury in battle, and more than just her lover are concerned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bruised But Not Broken

She shifted her weight, settling into a more comfortable starting position. The group of bandits was small, only four of them- but the largest was carrying a maul that would likely take her head off and she would want to avoid it. She signaled to Dorian and Sera, then nodded at Cassandra. It was go time.

Dorian started with fire, as usual. Sera's arrows came shortly after, and Jennifer and Cassandra charged into the fray. Two of the bandits fell almost instantly, and a third was no match for Cassandra's blade. This left the heavily armored bandit, and it was very clear that he would not go down easy. Jen and Cassandra circled, dodging blows and striking before he could recover. They heard Sera shout 'Bees!' and before they could react a flask shattered in front of them, releasing what seemed like an endless torrent of bees. The bandit flailed his weapon desperately while Cassandra and Jen tried to scramble out of the way. Jen, however, wasn't quite fast enough and caught the wayward maul in her ribs. The plate armor absorbed a good deal of the blow, but she was still knocked off her feet and hit the ground hard. The bandit stumbled to his knees and Cassandra finished him off, her blow connecting with the exposed area between his helmet and back plate.

Jen rolled over, groaned, and slowly got back on her feet. “Are you alright?” Dorian asked, appearing at her side. She took a few deep breaths. The pain was bad, but bearable. “I'll be fine.” She said, sheathing her weapon. He made a face, clearly not believing her answer. “Are you sure? I saw that hit, and-” “I am fine, Dorian. Really.” He pouted, but did not press the issue. “We should make our way back to Skyhold now that we've dealt with these bandits.” Cassandra said, glaring at Sera. “What? It helped, yeah? They're all dead. Bees! Win!” Cassandra sighed and shook her head. Sera blew a raspberry, Dorian snorted to himself, and Jen pretended to not notice any of it. Her chest ached, and a nap at Skyhold sounded like an excellent idea. “Skyhold it is.” She said, and they started off.

The trip to Skyhold was uneventful, save for Sera's usual button pushing. Jen had slowed a time or two to catch her breath, and it had not escaped Dorian's notice. Sera and Cassandra had retreated to their respective rooms, but Dorian wasn't content with Jen's short answer. If he couldn't get her to admit it was probably worse than she thought, he knew who could.

“I almost can't believe you're asking me this,” Cullen said. “I'm just saying you should check up on her.” Dorian folded his arms across his chest and gave Cullen the sternest look he could muster. “I'll go.” “Now?” Cullen sighed. “Yes, now.” Dorian smiled. “See? I knew you were a reasonable man. Now go check on your woman!” Cullen opened his mouth to respond, thought better of it, then shook his head and left his office to go check on Jen.

She had changed out of her armor into her usual clothes and was standing on the balcony in her bedroom, looking out over the mountains. She had thought of going down to the surgeon to have her side looked at, but the woman honestly gave her the creeps, and she liked her insides remaining inside her. The bruising had spread and it felt like a rib or two was broken, but there was nothing to do for that. The skin hadn't broken and she could breathe, so she wasn't too concerned. She heard a knock on her door, and went to answer it. She was surprised to see Cullen there. He had tried (and failed) to be subtle about their relationship since it began. Normally, she was the one to visit him. She quickly guessed his reasoning as they ascended the stairs. “Dorian sent you?” She asked, stopping by her bed and turning to face him. “Yes.” Cullen said, rubbing the back of his neck. “He said you were injured earlier.” She nodded. “Sera threw one of those damned bee jars at a bandit and I didn't quite make it out of the way of his maul. My plate got the worst of it.” He frowned. “Let me see.” “Look, I'm fine...” Her voice trailed off when she saw the concern on his face. She unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it on the bed, followed by her undershirt. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw the bruising. “It's not that bad, just bruises and maybe a cracked rib or two. Nothing to do but wait it out.” Cullen said nothing, his mouth still agape. She laughed softly and shook her head, then stepped forward and gently closed his mouth with her hand. She rested her hand on his cheek. “I'm fine. Really.” His face contorted again with concern. “I worry about you, you know.” “I know you do, and I appreciate it.” He placed his hands gently on her hips and pulled her in for a kiss. She accepted, and he slid his hand up and squeezed her breast gently. “I think you're overdressed,” she whispered, using her free hand to tug on his cloak. He thought about it- what if someone came looking for him? He cast a quick sideways glance out the window. The sun was starting to set and besides, he wouldn't be gone too long. He stepped back and removed his gloves. 

Suddenly, there was a commotion from the closet. Hushed voices, then louder voices, then the door opened. Sera and Dorian tumbled out. Jen and Cullen gasped in surprise. Dorian stood up and dusted off his robes. “This is all her fault you know. I just wanted to know if you were all right.” Sera sat up, still on the floor. “Oh come off it, you were being nosy too.” Jen put her hand to her forehead and sighed loudly. Cullen was flush from embarrassment and tried to stutter out his frustration. “What...what is wrong with you two? This is private!” “Pssh, we all know already. Besides, I ended up in here by accident. Dorian was in here on purpose.” Cullen reached onto the bed and handed Jen her undershirt. Dorian rolled his eyes. “Don't put them away!” Sera said teasingly. Jen snorted and tried to hold back laughter. “Get out. Both of you.” Sera stood up, and she and Dorian headed for the door. “Glad to know you're ok!” Dorian said, he and Sera disappearing down the stairs. “Now.” They heard the door close behind them. Cullen sighed and leaned over the banister, checking to make sure. He shook his head and made his way back over to Jen. “I can't say I'm surprised,” she said, laughing softly. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly again, a tic she had grown quite fond of. He couldn't find words to say, and a jumble of exasperated sounds came out, punctuated by a near breathless 'Maker's breath'. She laughed again and nodded in the direction of the bed. “Closet's clear if you're still interested.” She smiled, took his hand, and led him over to the bed.


End file.
